Astrid's Quandry
by Aryea
Summary: Based off the Riders of Berk Episode Heather Report-SPOILERS. A little back story on how Astrid was really feeling and some behind the scenes with her and Hiccup
1. Chapter 1

_Was watching the Heather Report from Season 1 of Riders of Berk and this story came into my head. There will be some dialogue from the episode so SPOILER ALERT. I do not own the characters or the dialogue, I am only using them to establish Astrid's thoughts and feelings._

_It begins the day after they find Heather, when they riders are at the dragon academy and Hiccup is late because he was giving Heather a ride on Toothless. Fishlegs is talking to Heather about the Book of Dragons and Astrid hauls Hiccup to the side to talk to him._

_Hope you enjoy._

* * *

"Hiccup, I don't think we should be showing her all our dragon secrets."

He sighed. "Astrid, it's fine..."

"I just don't trust her and you shouldn't either."

"Well, I do. And _you_ should trust _me_."

Astrid stared at Hiccup as he walked back to Heather. Trust him? Trust him! What in the name of Thor did that mean?

She stalked over to him, intending to continue their discussion, and knowing she was about to cause another scene, Hiccup suggested that everyone come back in a couple of hours to train.

Fishlegs, sensing a fight was coming between his two friends, offered to fly Heather back to the main village. She quickly agreed and climbed aboard Meatlug.

"Okay, Astrid. What is your problem?" Hiccup demanded, once everyone had departed.

"My problem?" She threw the book of Dragons at him. "My problem! Why is Heather suddenly all you think about, Hiccup?"

"She isn't all I think about! What...what kind of nonsense is that?"

"Oh? Then why were you giving her a joyride when we were supposed to be training? Why is she sleeping in your house? Why are you telling her all our secrets?" Why are you looking at her the way you used to look at me? Astrid screamed silently. Why do you trust her more than you do me?

"I wasn't giving her a joyride," Hiccup insisted. "She helped me fine tune Toothless' banking rod and we were testing it out."

Astrid folded her arms over her chest. "How convenient."

"Second, she is sleeping in my house because my father is the Chief and he decided she should, not me, and third I am not telling her all our secrets!"

"She's dangerous, Hiccup!"

"And you're jealous, Astrid!"

She gaped at him. It was one thing for Ruffnut to harass her, but totally another for Hiccup to call her on it. "I am not!"

"Of course you are, and that's perfectly normal. You're the prettiest girl on Berk and everyone knows it. Then, da da da, here comes Heather who is almost as pretty, and bing bang boom, female rivalry."

Almost? She felt herself soften, the tiniest bit that he thought she was prettier than Heather, then shook it off. "This isn't about rivalry, Hiccup."

"Of course it is, but Astrid, come on. She's just a visitor, and even if she stays, she's not you. She's not a dragon rider or a warrior, she's just a poor girl who lost her. We should be feeling sorry for her not condemning her and mistrusting her."

"Is that why you're spending so much time with her? Because, you feel sorry for her?" Or because she's almost as pretty, Astrid wanted to add, but didn't.

"It's not like I'm spending every waking hour with her, Astrid!" Hiccup cried. "Who else has she got? Her family were killed by pirates, her land over run. She needs friends not more enemies. I am trying to be her friend."

"Is that all you're trying to be?" The words were out before she could stop them.

"What else do you think?" he growled, frustrated. "Where is all of this even coming from?"

Astrid shrugged, her fear of losing him to Heather threatened to overwhelm her. She never thought she was in any danger of losing him to another girl, who else would want Hiccup but her? "You said she was pretty."

He gaped at her, opened his mouth once, twice, then snapped it shut and turned away. "I don't have time for this." He set the Book of Dragons in his saddlebag and climbed up on Toothless. "We'll meet back here in a couple of hours and start training. Maybe by then you'll have calmed down."

"I am calm!" she yelled at him as Toothless soared into the air and took off across the sky. She felt her lower lip tremble. "And I'm not jealous." But she was, oh Gods she really was.

* * *

Astrid walked up to Hiccup who was adjusting Toothless' saddle just outside his house. It had been an hour since they'd argued and she was feeling bad about it. "Um...hi."

He looked up at her. "Hi," he said just as softly.

She wondered if he knew how much his smile affected her? Did Heather feel the same way? Had the girl tried to show Hiccup how grateful she was while she was sleeping in his room, in his bed? Had Hiccup accepted her offers?

Pushing the dark thoughts back she knelt beside him. "I...I thought maybe we could have that race now? Just as a trial run, you know. Fish can clock us later."

"I'd like that, Astrid." He straightened then extended his hand to her. "I've actually got some drawings I want to show Gobber, so we can drop them off after."

"I'll get them," she offered. "Are they on your desk?"

"Yes, right side."

"Okay." She grinned and headed into the house, startled as she climbed into the loft to see Heather crouched behind Hiccup's bed reading the Book of Dragons aloud. She finished the list then demanded. "Just what do you think you're doing?"

Heather rose and glared at her, even as Astrid called down to Hiccup.

Hiccup climbed the stairs and spotted Heather holding the Book of Dragons to her chest and Astrid, her arms crossed and her hip stuck out glowering at her.

"Uh...what's going on?"

"She was reading the Book of Dragons!" Astrid accused.

Hiccup's eyes widened and he held out his hand for the book. Heather lowered her eyes and gave it to him, then turned burning eyes on Astrid.

"What?" Astrid glowered back at Heather. "Are you gonna say something?"

"I am so, so sorry, Hiccup," Heather said, lowering her eyes again, ashamed. "I was cleaning up your room and I...I found the book..." She turned back to meet his gaze, imploringly. "I couldn't help myself."

"It's okay, Heather."

"It's okay?" Astrid demanded, shocked." What do you mean, it's okay? She's reading the Book of Dragons."

"Astrid, come on, lighten up."

"Me?" How dare he! How dare he believe Heather's Little Miss Innocent act against solid proof! "She's the one sneaking around., looking at our stuff!"

"Really?" Hiccup asked. "Sneaking around? What...what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about last night," Astrid said, putting her hands on her hips again. "Near my house."

"That was me," Heather admitted. "I couldn't sleep, so I went for a walk. I was having terrible nightmares. "

Hiccup stepped closer to Heather. "I can imagine."

Astrid watched as her Hiccup and Heather looked into each other's eyes, and she saw the spark of interest between them both. He did like Heather! Not only that, but he was taking Heather's word over hers! Again!

"Is this really happening?"

"Okay, Astrid, that's enough."

"You're right Hiccup, it is." It was more than enough, Astrid decided.

She'd had it. Where was his loyalty? Let him be with Heather, let him marry her and take over the village for all she cared. She was through trying to help him, to be his friend, and she was through liking him too! She bolted down the stairs and out the door. She ran all the way to her house, but did not allow a single tear to fall until she was safe in her room, behind closed doors, where no one could see her.


	2. Chapter 2

_This chapter takes place after they have recaptured Heather but lost the Book of dragons to Alvin. Astrid has the idea to disguise herself as Heather and go to Outcast Island._

* * *

"Astrid?"

Astrid turned to see Hiccup standing at the top of the loft steps of her bedroom, where she was trying out black ink on a section of her hair. "I'm busy Hiccup."

She turned to face the mirror as she applied more ink.

"Please, can I talk to you?"

He sounded so sincere, but then he was always sincere. It couldn't be easy for him to admit he was wrong about Heather, and because he hadn't listened to her Alvin now had the Book of Dragons. But she was still angry that he put Heather before their friendship. That he had trusted her, believed her when she tried to warn him.

"Fine," She applied more ink. "Make it quick. I still have to sew together an outfit that matches Heather's."

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. You were right that we couldn't trust her, right about her working with Alvin."

She remained silent and continued turning her blond hair to black.

"And you...were right about the other thing too."

She looked at him, felt a stab in her heart.

"I...my brain was under siege. I...I did like her, not...not as much as I like you, but some, and she..." He stared at the floor and shrugged. "She was nice to me. She...seemed to like me and...I've never had a girl actually seem interested in me before."

Astrid blinked. She was interested, she liked him. How could he not know that? Probably because she was still working it out herself exactly how much she liked him. "I...guess I can understand that," she admitted. Hiccup had only recently even started having friends. "But I thought we were friends." Best friends, she added silently.

"We are!" he assured quickly. "Tell me I haven't screwed that up too?"

She averted her eyes. He'd hurt her, really hurt her in a way she never thought she could be hurt. And the sad part was she didn't know why she had been so jealous of Heather in the first place. Just because Hiccup paid attention to her? Hiccup was just a really sweet guy, he paid attention to most people and it had never bothered her before.

"I...You used to want my advice, Hiccup. I thought you trusted me to help you...I thought you believed in my word."

"I do! Astrid, I do and I love it when you give me advice, I couldn't get by without it, really."

She turned to him. "Then why did you blow me off? Why did you take her word over mine?" She turned away again. "She stole my dragon, Hiccup. She stole the Book of Dragons and made us all look like idiots. I don't like being made a fool off and I can't believe you didn't even consider she might be a threat when I warned you about her!"

"I'm sorry, Astrid. I...I don't know why I acted that way, I just...You were so aggressive with her, so adamant that there was something bad about her, but I couldn't see it that way. All I saw was she was a victim and you were being a..." He closed his mouth and lowered his eyes.

"A bully," Astrid finished for him and she realized that was exactly what she had been acting like a jealous, petty bully. Gods knew that Hiccup had seen enough of them. No wonder he was so protective of Heather.

"I should have listened to you, I know that, and I wanted to but, I just couldn't turn my back on her. I am so, so sorry, Astrid."

She sighed, then washed the ink from her hands in the small basin on her desk. "I guess I could have handled it better." Grabbing a towel to dry her hands, she turned back to him. "I was...I guess I was afraid."

He stepped closer. "Afraid of what?"

"Of losing my best friend."

"That will never happen, Astrid. You and I will always be friends, no matter what."

"I...I guess I don't always express myself very well," she admitted, and that had been another thing that annoyed her about Heather, the girl acted so soft and demure, when Astrid knew she wasn't. She didn't understand why someone would pretend to be weaker than they were, especially a girl. "Fish is right, I am too violent."

"That's not true. You're just...um..." He searched for a word that wouldn't get him punched. "More demonstrative, that's all. You're a Viking, Vikings tend to be...er...physical."

She smirked at his attempt to make her feel better. "Not all the time. Heather certainly wasn't."

His face darkened. "Trust me, Astrid. I don't want you to be anything like Heather. It will just remind me of what an idiot I am."

She chuckled and patted his shoulder. "If it's any consolation she had everyone else fooled too."

Hiccup stared into her eyes. "Not you."

"No, not me." She gritted her teeth and decided to come clean. "Because I was jealous."

Hiccup gasped at her admission. "R...really?"

She nodded and let her hand drop, disgusted with herself.

"Why? Because she was pretty?"

"No, not really." She back to the desk and folded her arms across her chest again. "Because... Because everyone liked her so much, you especially."

"Astrid, I didn't..."

"And because she was making sheep's eyes at you from the minute you flew her to the village."

"She what?" He rose moved to stand beside her. "Astrid, she was only trying to get information from me, just like she did with everyone else. You know that, you were the one who told me that."

"She wasn't flirting with the others, Hiccup."

Flirting? Hiccups eyebrows rose. "Heather never flirted with me."

Astrid sighed, sometimes Hiccup was so naive. "Of course she did!"

Only he probably didn't know it because he'd never had a girl flirt with him. She certainly hadn't ever done so, her approach was to direct; kiss him or punch him, those were her options.

Hiccup scowled. "I...Then I'm sorry, again, that I didn't see that. But even so, why would that bother you?"

She shrugged. "She made you act stupid. Snotlout, sure, Fish or Tuff I can completely understand, but you're not stupid, Hiccup. You're smart, really smart and you don't usually let people get inside your head like that." She shifted her shoulders a second time. "I didn't like you acting stupid. You weren't...yourself anymore."

"Well, you're right. I was being stupid and I'm sorry it upset you." He shrugged. "It was all an act, anyway. She never really liked me."

Oh but she did, Astrid thought angrily. She'd seen the shine in Heather's eyes whenever Hiccup was near her, saw the way the other girl had looked at him, practically drooled over him. Sure, most of it had been to gain his trust so she could get information about the dragons, but that wasn't all of it.

When they had chased after Heather, she'd been thrilled when Hiccup went for the book instead of the girl, after she'd thrown Heather off of Stormfly. She'd understood how angry he was, at Heather and himself, and she also knew that he wouldn't be that angry, or that dismissive of a rescue if he'd had any real feelings for Heather.

"Anyway, it's over now. We have to get the book back from Alvin. That's our main priority."

He nodded. "Yes, you're right, of course but...We're okay again, right?

She embraced him. "Absolutely."

Remembering where they were, she just as quickly released him, watched him cough with embarrassment as she pulled at her hair.

"Right, so... " She picked up the bottle of ink. "How about helping me get my hair covered with this stuff?"

"I am here to serve, Milady."

Later, as Astrid stepped into the boat Fishlegs had ready for her and fully disguised as Heather, Hiccup said.

"We'll be shadowing you from the sky."

I don't need Shadowing."

"Just in case, you know... it will make me feel better.

Her gaze softened and she saw the affection in his eyes. Yes, there was her best friend. "Fine. Just stay of of sight. If Aviln sees you it will all be over."

"Don't worry about us. Just get the book and get out of there." He didn't want her on Outcast Island any longer than she had to be. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. "We'll be waiting."

Astrid held his gaze for a moment longer, relieved to have her Hiccup back, and then felt Fishlegs push her boat off.

"Hey Astrid?" Come back to me, he thought when her eyes met his again. But he remembered the others around him and instead said. "Be safe."

Astrid understood his words, both spoken and silent and nodded.

Hiccup hopped onto Toothless and soared into the air, he wasn't about to let her out of his sight.


	3. Chapter 3

_And here is the end, sorry for the wait. Is a short one, but I had never intended the story to be very long. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

* * *

"I told you she didn't like me," Hiccup snorted as they waved at the departing ship carrying Heather and her parents.

It had been a very busy day and was already mid-noon. They had flown overnight to Outcast Island, chased off a flock of wild dragons, avoided capture, foiled Alvin's plans, rescued Astrid, Heather and her parents and retrieved the Book of Dragons all in a few short hours. During that time they had learned that Heather had been telling the truth about her parents and had only been another of Alvin's victims.

"Of course she liked you, why would you say that?"

"She didn't even give me a hug goodbye."

"Well, maybe she's just shy."

"She gave you a hug goodbye."

Astrid smirked. "Maybe she just has good taste then."

"I can't argue with that," Hiccup agreed. "However, you have to admit you were wrong."

"Wrong about what?"

"Heather wasn't the monster you painted her to be."

"Maybe not, but I was still right," Astrid argued. "She was still working for Alvin."

"She was being forced to work for Alvin to save her parents."

"Anyway, what does it matter now? We have the book back..."

"Oh, ho, it matters because I was right about her, at least partially. I sensed a goodness in her that you were too jealous to see."

"And you were too love struck to see she was still a danger to us and was manipulating you."

"I...I wasn't love struck."

"You absolutely were! Don't deny it Hiccup, you..." Astrid's words were cut off as Hiccup quickly kissed her. "I...you..."

"Now, I'm love struck," he said, jumped back to neatly avoid her rounding fist and bowed. "Shall we go for lunch, Milady?"

She smirked, put her hand on her hip. "Think you're cute, don't you?"

"What really matters is do you think I'm cute?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I kinda do."

He grinned and together they turned and mounted their dragons.


End file.
